Nightclubs around Teesside are struggling to fill their dancefloors despite the end of lockdown.
Pre-pandemic, Middlesbrough nightlife was thriving, but what was once a vibrant and busy town centre after dark, is now nothing but a ghost town.
Local nightclub promoter Brad Thompson, 31, spoke to TuXtra about why he thinks there is a decline in business.
He explained that at the moment, there is more of a demand for large-scale events such as The Warehouse Project in Manchester that host weekly parties with well established DJ line-ups, and that there seems to be little interest in going to local clubs for a night out.
Brad said: “Venues like that of The Warehouse Project have a capacity of 16,000 and are known for hosting major music events.”
“People would rather travel out of Middlesbrough to these events over a night out on the town which is one of the reasons we are seeing our clubs empty.
“The market is changing now and it is only the big bookings are bringing in a crowd.
“There is also a demand for a certain type of music. The days of playing chart music in a club are dead. People want to hear the latest dance, house and techno tracks, but more so want to see the artists that have produced them.”
He explained that at the moment that most popular music event in Teesside is Mode, and is the only one of its kind.
Mode, over the past year has booked some of the biggest DJs in dance music history.
Brad said: “They tend to change up their venues which definitely helps with business.”
“Mode has hosted some wicked events in the likes of Stereo and The Empire and even held an open-air event in the town centre.
“It is definitely the best and most popular music event in the North East, because they cater to what the people want.”
Mode has most recently secured a booking with DJ Ewan McVicar, best known for his track ‘Tell Me Something Good”, that took the dance charts by storm.
He is set to play at Mode’s Third birthday celebration on December 3.
Details of the event can be found here:- https://m.facebook.com/modemuzik/
- Third year journalism student
- Rave Reporter @ Capital Dance
